“As a child, Louboutin would regularly sneak out of school, from the age of 12, to visit the flea market of Vila do Conde, where all the gypsies loved his shoes. Although Louboution faced much opposition following his dicision to leave school so early, he claims that his resolve was strengthened after watching an interview on TV with Sophia Loren in which she turned 50 she got her degree. “Everybody applauded! And I thoght, ‘Well, at least if I regret it I’m going to be like the sister of Sophia Loren!'”